His car torched, Lynnwood man chases and subdues arson suspect

Originally published March 16, 2007 at 12:00 am

Updated March 16, 2007 at 2:03 am

After a passer-by alerted Lynnwood resident Dan Morrison that his car was on fire Thursday morning, Morrison grabbed a baseball bat and tussled with the suspected arsonist. He said the man was attempting to set a fire at a nearby church.

An arson last year caused about $800,000 in damage to Lynnwood’s Maple Park Lutheran Brethren Church. Police are investigating whether Thursday’s incidents are related to the arson.

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When an arsonist set fire to Dan Morrison's car just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday at his Lynnwood home, Morrison didn't just put out the fire...

A passer-by had alerted Morrison, 24, that his car was on fire at his home on 176th Street Southwest, he said. Still wearing his pajamas, he picked up the bat as he went out to extinguish the flames.

He said he spotted the suspect testing doors of houses and cars on his block. He followed the man to the church at 17620 60th Ave. W., where Morrison said he interrupted him trying to spark a fire.

Morrison dealt 10 or more blows during the chase and as he tussled with the suspect, he estimated. He said he shouted repeatedly for help and saw a neighbor calling authorities on his cellphone.

Police apprehended both Morrison and the suspect, who was taken to Stevens Hospital in Edmonds.

The suspect’s head wounds were stitched and he was released from the hospital, said Lynnwood police detective Sgt. Jerry Riener, lead investigator for the case. The man is being held at the Snohomish County Jail.

Morrison, who was uninjured, was released from custody.

Riener said the county prosecutor will review the case and consider whether Morrison might have used excessive force to subdue the suspect.

However, “If someone attacks you, you have the right to defend yourself,” he said.

But Riener said citizens should remember to consider their own safety before trying to apprehend suspected criminals.

“We always want people to think of their personal safety first. … In this case, it worked out, but it could have turned different. We don’t encourage people to go out and take the law into their hands,” he said.

The church was the site of a major arson last year. The fire, which was started in a portable toilet outside the church, spread to the church’s interior and caused about $800,000 in damage, said Gary Price, minister of church life.